Stars in his Pockets
by lunarbullets
Summary: Takumi just yearns to sleep, Elise is determined to drag him out, and Leo is amused. TakuLise.


**Heya, there everyone!**

 **It's been a month since I've joined , and I'm proud that I've published 4 stories, although not much people have read them!**

 **This fanfiction is another TakuLise, or Takumi/Elise, a barely popular ship. I, on the other hand, adore this pairing.**

 **I wrote this one-shot a month or two ago, and decided to publish it here, although it is not that good.**

 **I appreciate greatly and thank anyone that reads and/or reviews this story, as I strive to improve my writing! Thank you for taking some time out of your day to do this! :D**

 **Now, onto the story!**

 **- _CelestialScript_**

 ** _P.S._** **Was Leo too snide here? Sorry...**

* * *

 **Star-Dazed**

If Takumi, the youngest prince of Hoshido, was lusting and wishing for a long, peaceful, dreamless rest and sleep, he was going to be sorely disappointed.

He had been on patrol duty for three days, always on guard, never resting (although he had secretly fallen asleep while standing), which explained why when Corrin announced that Takumi would be on rest for the night, he had bolted and made a beeline for his private quarters, which he shared with Sakura, his younger sister. His bed had never seemed so inviting before.

Alas, his happiness at the prospect of sleeping was shattered soon after he had passed out.

It was broken by none other than a certain, twin-tailed, princess of Nohr.

"Hey, Takumi! Psst… Wake up!" Thin and slender fingers tapped at his cheek, trying, but failing to arouse him. He sleepily groaned and tried to smack them away, but the fingers only persisted even more.

"Get up! I have something important!" An annoyed and shrill voice of a girl vibrated in his ears, desperate. Once again, he ignored the attempts, instead, rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face into his pillow, hoping that it would block out all the sounds.

However, to Takumi's dismay, the girl turned out to be rather determined at knocking him out of bed. "Hmph, be that way! I'll just have to wake you up the hard way!"

The half-shut off brain of his did not have time process what "the hard way" would mean when two hands grasped his pillows and pulled with all their strength.

This try proved successful. The intruding person and pillow landed onto the floor with a soft thump (she wasn't too strong, it seemed), and Takumi's poor head bounced against the hard wooden base of his head, efficiently awaking his consciousness.

"Aaah…" Groaning as he rubbed the back of his skull, he could already he could feel the bruise swelling.

"Oh, goody! You're alive!" Before he could react, a mass of black and pink hurled itself at him, body colliding with his. Two arms wrapped themselves around his waist, a small face peered up at him, grinning widely.

"P-Princess E-Elise?" He gasped for breath, her arms had knocked all the air out of his throat.

"Nope, just Elise!" She beamed and thankfully unattached her arms from his middle and scampered off his sheets. "I was beginning to think you died!"

Staring at her, he tried to conceal the amusement creeping onto his face. "People don't die if they are still breathing. And I was breathing, wasn't I?"

She didn't have the chance to answer when Takumi pounced on her, eyes flaming. "What I want to know is what the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night, when I haven't gotten any sleep for the past three days and would like some rest without any girls pestering me?!"

Elise remained unfazed, much to his exasperation, and merely waved off his rampage. "I'm sorry about waking you from your much-needed sleep, but I came to show you something!" she suddenly lunged and seized his hand, striving to drag him out the door. Not being strong enough, all the short girl managed to do was exhaust herself and flop onto the floor, wiping her forehead.

"Come on! Don't be a baby!"

Ah, the memories that stirred up in his mind…

"Where do you want to take me?"

She pushed herself off the floor, slowly standing up, but she shook her head, refusing to tell him anything. "You'll find out," she began, "When you come with me! I'll be waiting outside!" With that she skipped out his door, leaving Takumi gaping at the now-void doorway.

"...Seriously?"

In a few minutes, he had managed to pull on some of his warmer clothes, (although at first, being dazed, he had put it on backward and stuck his leg through his sleeves) and then strode out to find Elise.

It was not difficult to find her; his eyes scrutinized the grounds until he spotted a head of light blonde, silky black ribbons adorning its tresses.

"Elise!" he called out in a whisper, hoping that his voice wouldn't catch any attention, he didn't feel more people to realize that he was running off with Elise somewhere in the dead of the night; they would take it the incorrect way.

Her ears immediately perked up at the sound of her name being called, and she skipped over to him, smiling rather mischievously, which made Takumi insides churn.

 _What is she up to?_

"Yay, you came! Now let's go!"

"Wait, before we go, where are you-" She cut him off by snatching his hand up, taking him by surprise. It was all he could do to not trip and fall on his face. Elise broke into a run, forcing him to do the same. He silently wished that he had left Fujin Yumi back at his quarters, but there was nothing he could do now, but grasp the yumi tightly in his leather gloves and run after her.

"Elise!" He shouted, hoping that the wind wouldn't carry his words away. "Slow down!"

She twisted around, her twin-tails smacking his face, and instead grinned, beginning to sprint even faster. Silently cursing, Takumi chased after her, forming a lecture in his mind he was going to give her when they stopped.

Past the Dusk and Dawn Dragon statues, they went, past Lilith's temple, past a very shocked Corrin, who Takumi could only send a sheepish expression to, before lunging into the dark forest that lounged at the edge of their fortress.

"The Hunting Forest?" He half-asked Elise, who he was sure rolled her eyes before answering, "No, the bath house!"

Just the thought made him blush.

Still, they delved deeper into the woods, although not as deep as the archer would go usually on his own to hunt and strike game.

Finally, when she suddenly halted, he was exhausted and damp, wistfully thinking about his bed. Collapsing and setting his yumi to the ground, he greedily inhaled the crisp and cold night air.

"W-what are we doing here?" he glanced around, but all he saw was that they were in an isolated clearing, a few clumps of daisies and lilies littering the grassy dirt floor. Elise, however, was completely immersed by something, and gestured up, above both of them.

Raising his head and eyes, his breath hitched in his throat.

Stars.

Hundreds and thousands of stars danced in the sky, each seeming to emit a different shade of light. It was only seemingly minuscule lights in the sky, but Takumi barely had time to ever admire such things. But now, in the silence of the forest with just the rustle of leaves, he could see the simple beauty of the sight.

Much like the girl next to him.

Elise had settled down next to him, her thigh pressed against his knee. If it was on purpose or not, she gave no notice. "It's beautiful isn't it?" She sighed happily, her violet pools reflecting the black night sky. "This is my favorite place to be! I come here when I can't sleep."

"Alone?"

"Yes, of course!" Glancing sideways at him, she grinned. A few strands of hair had come loose from her pigtails, and now they swayed across her forehead. Takumi looked away, feeling heat rush into his face. Gods, he blushed really easily. "I'm the only one who knows about this special place! And now you do too!"

Her hand had somehow gravitated to his, and now her fingertips just barely brushed against his palm. Desperately keeping back a strong flush threatening to indulge his neck and face, he fought to keep an indifferent expression. Takumi's grip on his bow tightened as he shifted away from her slightly. Yet, she still persisted.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, his voice just barely able to stay even.

Elise cocked her head, apparently not understanding his simple question. "Is this test? I don't like questions… Oh! Is this a game? I love games!"

How she managed to connect everything with games, he pondered.

"No this isn't a game, Elise." He replied, exasperated. "You just told me that you are the only one who knows about this place. Then… Why show me?"

Her brows furrowed, the statement only succeeding to make her more confused. "Why show you?"

"Yes, why didn't you bring Corrin or your other siblings here? Instead of me? You could have brought your retainers or someone close to you to your favorite area, but you brought me instead…"

"Takumi, what are you-?"

"And I'm prince from the opposing kingdom, who is technically at war with your kingdom, so why would you…"

"Because we're friends!" Elise seemed to finally catch onto what he was saying, interceding in the middle of his sentence.

Ah, of course, she had objected with that protest. A rather weak one at that.

"We're friends, yes, but not that close..."

"So?"

"...And everyone you meet, you claim that they're your friend."

She puffed her cheeks, not amused. "But, you're different!"

"Oh?" a rare smirk crept onto his lips, teasing her.

Blushing a pale pink, realizing how her words sounded, she hurriedly covered her mistake. " _I_ think you as a close friend, even if _you_ don't! And Big Sister told me that if we try to strengthen our bonds with the other kingdom, we'll be able to fight better!"

The way she said everything so sincerely and innocently made Takumi smile; not many people during this dark time of war had her innocence, her rare spirit was something that everyone cherished.

"I guess that is understandable." Both of them fell quiet afterward, settling into a comfortable silence, instead gazing at the bright jewels gleaming in the distance.

...Well, one of them were gazing at the stars.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Elise's abnormally quiet voice broke the quiet silence, although her pupils were still secured onto the heavens.

"Yes… Beautiful…" Takumi breathed out, but he was not watching the flaming balls of light. His eyes were locked onto the girl next to him, with her bright and lively orbs, flushed cheeks, and a strand of hair plastered to her forehead from the damp night air. Unconsciously, he smiled slightly, his fingers linking with hers.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elise giving him a side look, beaming.

 _You know…_ Takumi thought, as Elise's hand unknowingly stroked his silver locks. _I guess I could sacrifice my sleep for this…_

* * *

"Ah, what is this?"

An amused and snarky voice rang in his ears, and Takumi groaned, his eyelids cracking open in a slit. The sunshine hit him with a blinding white light, and he immediately shut them, in fear that his vision would be burned away.

He was sore all over; his back, knees, and arms, an outcome surely because his night resting against coarse tree bark.

Finally, he opened his eyes, rubbing them with his fists, adjusting them to the sudden change of light.

When he looked down to his lap to observe the light pressure that rested on his legs, he attempted to screech when a gloved hand slapped over his mouth, muffling his shouts of surprise.

"I do not think it would be a good choice to wake up Elise. She is rather frightening during mornings." Takumi glanced up, a glare imprinted on his face.

Just as he had thought, Prince Leo, literally his Nohrian counterpart, was heavily smirking, one hand over Takumi's mouth, other grasping a violet book, which glowed a soft Modena.

The subject to Takumi's shock was Elise, who, currently, was curled up in his lap. Head pressed against his chest, right fingers clasped with his, left clutching onto his shirt, she was snoring away peacefully.

Heat rushed into his face and neck when he realized that his arm had wrapped itself around her protectively and that her pigtails had come loose, the tresses now flowing down her back, entangling with their hands.

This is just perfect…

"My, my, Prince Takumi. I did not know you actually had to courage to sneak off and sleep with a princess!"

That was it. He withdrew that hand that had been wrapped around the snoring girl, smacking the dark mage's off his mouth, then proceeding to aim a hit at him. Leo easily dodged it, but retreated a few steps back from where he had originally stood.

"Come along now, we do not have all day."

In response, Takumi just grumbled, shifting his numb legs, desperately thinking of an explanation to give when Ryoma and Hinoka would be informed of this. Not to mention, Xander and Camilla too. Just thinking on how the usually kind and beautiful Nohrian princess's face would contort from anger made him gulp in fear.

As if sensing his fear, Leo bemusedly waved a hand in the air, unconcerned. "Don't fret, Pineapple, I will not go and inform of this… Outing."

Takumi gave a sigh of relief; at least the Nohrian prince was not threatening him.

"...Although, I do think that informing her family of a future royal child would be helpful."

"Why you-!" The archer could not help it; Leo had went much too far with that last sentence. Scarlet rushing into Takumi's face, he gently pushed Elise onto the soft olive grass blades, then he sprung up, fist stationed in front of Leo's armored chest. The prince merely smirked, hand hovering over Brynhildr, ready to attack.

"Hey, what's going?"

Both of them froze in their battle stances upon hearing the tired and soft voice of the blonde girl, who was on her knees kneeling, yawning and gazing around.

"I just remember falling asleep on a really nice-smelling and soft pillow…" Takumi blushed at her sentence, recalling that _he_ had been the pillow. "And…"

Glancing up, she finally noticed the two. "Hey, Takumi! And… Leo?"

Both princes immediately stepped back from each other, scratching the back of their heads, avoiding Elise's stares as she looked between the both of them, confused.

The first to recover, Leo tucked his tome under his arm, giving a rather exaggerated bow to Takumi. "I will be making my exit now. Farewell, Prince Takumi." With a wave of his hand, he briskly trotted away in the direction of the deeper grounds, his blonde head soon disappearing into the trees.

Blankly staring after him, Elise tossed her head in the sniper's direction.

"Were you two playing a game?"

Takumi resisted the urge to give a groan of outrage.

 **The End**


End file.
